Common heel holders in ski bindings are used for fixing the ski boot to a pivotal sole holder which is held in a closed position by a locking mechanism. This locking mechanism consists in most cases of a pretensioned locking part which engages a stationary holding part. The release or holding force is thereby adjusted in most cases through the change of the pretension of the spring-loaded locking part. Such constructions have the disadvantage that they rigidly hold the ski boot and have practically no elasticity, and can thus absorb no shock loads.
The basic purpose of the invention is now to provide a heel holder which is simple in structure and is maintenance free and wear-free in operation and which is free of the listed disadvantages.
For this it is inventively suggested that both the initial tension or pretension of the spring which loads the locking arm and also the angle of pitch of a surface on a slideway member be adjustable.
Such a construction has in particular the advantage that the release path of the sole holder, which release path effects the height of elasticity, is adjustable by changing the angle of pitch of a surface on the slideway member and the release or the holding force of the sole holder is adjustable also by changing the initial tension of the spring. In this manner it is assured in a structurally simple manner that the ski binding can be individually adjusted to the respective skiing capability or the body structure of the skier and also to the respective slope conditions. It is thereby advantageous, if the slideway surface is constructed on a slideway member which is rotatably supported in the housing, which slideway member engages an adjusting member. The locking arm thereby advantageously has an L-shape and grips in the closed position behind the slideway member.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is characterized by a stop part being supported on the housing, which stop part is rotatable or movable into the release path of the locking arm. This has the advantage that the binding, by adjusting a high elasticity and low release force, can be moved into a kind of a cross-country position, and thus permit the skier to have a limited freedom of movement of the heel. This makes walking easier.